Sled.



J. BUGKLEY.

SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1911.

3 w 1L W w 9 a 11E 0 a 9mm K s wi bnwwo J. BUCKLEY.

SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1911.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2'SHEETSSHEBT 2.

'UivrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOH'N BUCKLEY, or FRANKLIN, mane, Ass enon or aim-m me ronnnnnw fa. Jonnson, ens-runner: T0 enonen A. xmesrorsn, IAND ozm-ronnm so may n. ;er.n'11n, ALL or mum, inane.

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Specification of renews latent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B'ucKLnY, citizen of the United States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Oneida and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful 4 Improvements in Sleds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles and particularly to sleds or slei hs.

eachrunner and movable in a closed path with relation to the runners, the track being revoluble as the sled proceeds so that each track is laid down in front of the corresponding runner and is drawn up over the rear end of the corresponding runner as the sled proceeds on its way.

Another object of the invention is to perfect the details of the endless track and to provide means in connection therewith whereby the frictional resistance between the track and the sled runner may be reduced to a minimum.

Another object is to provide means for braking the forward movement of the vehicle and to provide for reducing the friction of the endless track with the wheel at its forward end where the greatest pressure between the runner and track would occur.

My invention is equally applicable to a hand sled, a sled or sleigh intended to be drawn by a team, or to a sled driven by a motor.

In the drawings :"Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coasting annular sled constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sled, the forward end of one of the runners being broken away. Fig. 4c is a transverse section of the flexible traction member and the block attached thereto. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a. sleigh designed to be drawn by a team. Fig. '6 is a side elevation of a sled or sleigh designed to be operated under its own power. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the blocks upon which the runners move. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the blocks used in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 5 and a portion of the flexible member which connects the blocks.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In Figs. 1 to 3 I have shown a hand sled, that is, a coasting sled provided with my invention, and in these figures, 2 designates parallel, oppositely disposed sled runners connected "by cross bars supporting a sled platform '3. This platform may be of any suitable description and may support a seat if desired. Preferably each runner is in the form of an obtuse angle triangle, the hypotenuse of the triangle being upward and the ends rounded as illustrated in Fig. 2. The forward end of each runner carries upon it a roller 4 supported in any suitable manner as by brackets 5. If desired, the rear end of the runner might also be provided with such a roller. 1 do not wish to be limited to any particular shape for the runner, though I believe the shape shown in Fig. 2 to be the best, for the reason that the upwardly extending front end rides better over 0bstacles, and a better engagement is secured between the track blocks and the runner than is possible where the forward end of the runner extends downward at a more acute angle to the lower edge of 'the runner.

Traveling'arou'ncl the edges of each runner is a flexible band designated 6 which is preferably composed of a series of links. This band is entirely flexible, 'and'supported upon the band at intervals along its length.

flanges 8 as shown in Fig. 4, these flanges embracing the margin of the runner between- .7 them. flanges on the blocksall extend 1 inward, that is, toward the runner, and the 'member is relatively smooth.

blocks are of course disposed upon the inside face of the chain or flexible track member 6 so that the exterior face of thetrack Preferably thejexterior face of the track member Sis f formed with teeth, lugs, corrugations or prov jections which will engage the roadbed and secure a good traction between the member 6 and the roadbed. The roller 4 is of a width just suflicient to pass between the flanges 8 of the blocks so that the-blocks can pass up over said roller 4 without being impeded thereby;

' While I do not wish to be limited to the .use of rollers disposed within the blocks 7, I preferably provide the blocks 7 each wlth I i -a pair of rollers 9 mounted between the ed esof the block.

not, however, wish to be limited to the roll flanges 8 and located near the front and rear n practical use, the improved sled is used precisely as any other "sled is used, ex-

' cept that it travels over ordinary ground.

Where it is to 'be used for coasting, the weight of the person upon the sled will tend to cause the-sled to travel down hill. Inas- 'much as the flexible endless track has a "tractiv'e engagement with the-ground, the

runners will be caused to move over the endless track so. thatthe endless track will have a rotative movement relative to the runners and thus willbe laid down in front of the runners and carried upward behind the runners as thesled moves downward, thus pro- .viding a continuous track for the runners. The rollers 9 if used reduce any friction between the track and the runners. I do ers 9 as it might be possible to use other means for reducing friction between the lower edges of the runners and the track. My invention is equally adapted to sleds which are, to be drawn and in Fig. 5 I show such a sled. In this figure, 12 designates the runners which are connected to each other by cross bars-in any suitable manner able character.

gage with the edges of the runner precisely as before described. Each of these blocks is provided with the side flanges 18 to embrace the margins of the runners, and each block is preferablyprovided with the oppositely disposed, parallel antifriction rollers 19. The sled is also provided with a tongue 1 20 whereby it may be drawn. The operation of this form of m invention is precisely the same as that previously described. The sled is preferably a bob-sled for the reason that the forward sled must be made relatively short in order to guide properly.

In Fig. 6 I show my invention as applied to a-motor driven sled. In this form the sled runners 2 support a body 23 and the forward ends of the sled runners are provided with the rollers 24 supported on the brackets 25. Extending around each of the sledrunners is an endless track or band 26 preferably composed of links and supporting a plurality of blocks 27 each having the end flanges 28 which embrace the margins of the runners. This form of my invention operates in precisely the same manner as heretofore described. The vehicle instead of being propelled b draft animals is proelled by any s'uita le means, as for instance y a spur wheel 30 mounted between the runners and engaging withthe ground, this spur wheel being driven by a motor 31 mounted upon the bod of the vehicle. The

vehicle may-be guided y impeding the progress ofthe vehicle on one side or the other,

thus causing it to turn, or the vehicle may be in the form of a bob-sled and the forward runners may be turned so as .to guide forms of vehicle a brake which will engage with the endless track and impede its movement relative to the sled runner. In Fig. 5 I have shown such a brake comprising a shoe 33 mounted upon the body of the vehicle and movable downward into engagement with the upper flight of the endless track. The brake shoe may be shifted by means of a lever 34 or in any other suitable manner and is normally held out of engagement with the endless track by means of a .spring 35.

While I have illustrated what I regard as the preferable details of my construction, I

do not wish to be limited thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. I 4

My invention is simple, easily applied, is capable of a large variety of usesand can be applied equally well either to'childrens sleds or to large sleighs.

What I claim is:

A supporting structure including side members spaced apart, endless flexible mem-' bers extending around said side members, a plurality of blocks. spaced apart and con.- nected to said flexible membersand each formed with inwardly directed lugs at the ends, and a. plurality of rollers pivoted be- In testimon whereof, I afilx my signature tween the lugs of each of said blocks, said in presence 0 two witnesses. rollers being of less diameter than the depths of the lugs, wherebz1 the rollers travel upon JOHN BUGKLEY' 5 the outer edges of t e side members and the Witnesses:

lugs extend over the side faces of the same H. H. ALLEN,

in advance of the ends of the rollers. EZRA P. MONSON.

Eagles 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O." 

